CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997 Certified
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2022

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• Jim Kiick played RB at Wyoming from 1965-’67.
• He totaled 431 carries for 1714 yards and 10 TDs rushing, to go along with 52 receptions for 561 yards and 5 TDs.
• Well lauded, he led the Cowboys in rushing all 3 years, and the team to the Sun Bowl and Sugar Bowl.
• Kiick was selected in the 5th round of the 1968 AFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
• He’d go on to play for the Dolphins for the next seven seasons, where Jim established himself as a wonderful compliment to Larry Czonka in the backfield as a receiver, rusher, and blocker.
• In 1969, Kiick led the AFL with 9 rushing TDs.
• He’d have a career high 1,155 yards from scrimmage the following year in 1970.
• And in 1971, rushed for a career high 738 yards.
• Czonka and Kiick were known affectionately as ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ thanks in part to their drunken debauchery on road games.
• In each of his first 4 seasons, Kiick had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
• Over a period of time however, new players such as Mercury Morris and Paul Warfield were introduced to the team, eating into Kiick’s playing time and touches.
• He and Larry shocked the football world when in 1975 Jim, Paul, and Larry jumped ship for the World Football League.
• They all played for the Memphis Southmen.
• Jim ran for 462 yards on 121 carries, scoring 9 TDs, while also catching 25 passes for 259 yards and a TD.
• After the league folded, Jim returned to the NFL where he played the ’76 season for the Broncos.
• He played the majority of the ’77 season with Denver, and finished out the year with the Redskins.
• Jim had a variety of pursuits he chased after his NFL time ended, including private investigation, and owned a self-titled sports promotion company.

ACCOLADES:

• Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame
• Pro Bowl 1968, ’69

NOTES:

By the time I was back collecting and targeting this set, Jim had already started deteriorating rapidly from dementia- and he was one of the many players that had been diagnosed with CTE. It made me deeply sad, so I didn’t want to trouble him for his autograph during this private time of his life, even though he was still participating in private signings.

It’s difficult for me to talk about this subject. Care giving for one who is experiencing issues with mental cognition hits home for me. My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s near the end of his life in his 90s. He had to be placed into a senior care center. I just remember the last time I saw him, it was my birthday, and he thought I worked for him at the plant- somewhere he hadn’t been to in 30 years.

EPITAPH:

6/20/20- Jim had battled dementia and had been living in a assisted living community. He passed away at the age of 73. It was later confirmed that Kiick had suffered from CTE.

RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
1029	3759	3.7	29	56

REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
233	2302	9.9	4	53

RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
121	462	3.8	9	16

REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LG
25	259	10.4	1	26